Types of Intellectual Property
Trade marks
Distinguish your goods or services in the market place by using a trade mark. Your trade mark could include words, logos, shapes, colours, sounds, smells or any combination of these.
Patents
A patent gives you a legal right to stop others from making, using, or selling something you have invented for up to 20 years. Your rights only exist in the country or region where your patent is granted.
Designs
Designs are all about how your products look. You can register the design of products that have a new shape or surface decoration.
Copyright
Created automatically with original work, like artwork, books, websites, computer programs, drawings, plays, films, music, and sound recordings. You may use the symbol © to help you demonstrate that you claim copyright in a particular work, but you do not need to.
Plant variety rights
A grant of Plant Variety Rights for a new plant variety provides the exclusive right to exploit propagating material of the variety.
Geographical indications
Geographical indications are used to inform consumers that a product originates from a particular geographical region, and has a quality, reputation or characteristic that is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.
Māori culture and traditional knowledge is a unique New Zealand taonga (treasure) — central to our national identity.
Intellectual property (IP) can protect a range of ideas and creations and understanding the differences between the types of IP is crucial. Having registered IP can make enforcement easier. If you are still unsure what kind of IP protection you need, check out Learn IP. Learn IP breaks down the different types of IP, and provides step by step guides, and helpful examples.
Search what’s already registered
Search registered IP
You can search our IP registers to see what has already been applied for or registered, including searching by owner.
Setting up a business
If you are setting up a Business, you can use ONECheck to search for existing registered trade marks, company names, website domain names, and social media handles.
For those already familiar with handling IP, you can search, apply for, maintain and renew all registered IP types in Manage IP.